ampgalore
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2004
- Posts
- 2,739
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Has anyone done a double blind comparison between the headphone out on home CD players, mini systems, integrated amps, and the headphone out on dedicated home headphone amps?
Ever since I got my Grace 901, I hooked it up to the optical out on my Kenwood mini shelf system. I have been switching back and forth on headphone out on the Grace and the Kenwood mini system with my HD600. To be perfectly honest, I don't think I can hear much of a difference at all.
I think I can hear a difference between the XP7 and the Grace 901, but not between the Grace and the headphone out on my mini system.
This quite disturbing.
The only possibilities I can think of are the following:
1) I don't have the golden ears
2) Poor source material
3) Both the Grace and Kenwood have NEUTRAL amplication, while the XP7 has COLORED amplication
With regard to COLORED amplication, this got me thinking. Could it be all the hype we are hearing about the very highest end amps are COLORED amplication, rather than NEUTRAL amplication? The highly coveted tube sound is largely attributable to distortion.
Another possibility is that the headphone out on my mini system is on par with the one on Grace. I HIGHLY doubt this. Then I must admit to the fact that I lack those golden ears.
After having spent all this money on amps, I am just speechless.
Ever since I got my Grace 901, I hooked it up to the optical out on my Kenwood mini shelf system. I have been switching back and forth on headphone out on the Grace and the Kenwood mini system with my HD600. To be perfectly honest, I don't think I can hear much of a difference at all.
I think I can hear a difference between the XP7 and the Grace 901, but not between the Grace and the headphone out on my mini system.
This quite disturbing.
The only possibilities I can think of are the following:
1) I don't have the golden ears
2) Poor source material
3) Both the Grace and Kenwood have NEUTRAL amplication, while the XP7 has COLORED amplication
With regard to COLORED amplication, this got me thinking. Could it be all the hype we are hearing about the very highest end amps are COLORED amplication, rather than NEUTRAL amplication? The highly coveted tube sound is largely attributable to distortion.
Another possibility is that the headphone out on my mini system is on par with the one on Grace. I HIGHLY doubt this. Then I must admit to the fact that I lack those golden ears.
After having spent all this money on amps, I am just speechless.